104 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



May. — Looking through my manuscript notes for the last ten years, I 

 have been struck by the occurrence of a May storm about the middle of the 

 month. The only exception worth notice was in 1893, when fine weather 

 broke up, with rain and north-east winds, on the 3rd. Generally speaking, 

 the trouble is one of cold, high winds with rain, and even snow — " winter 

 lingering in the lap of May " — but, on three occasions — 1895, 1898, and 

 1899 — the storm was one of thunder and lightning. This year (1900) we 

 had the cold week, with the wind northeast, about May 17th. As " the 

 weather " is always a matter of moment to entomologists, these remarks 

 may be of interest. The only other thing worth referring to under this 

 month is a Euchloe cardamines, which I saw flying along Eastgate Street, 

 Chester, on the '^^Oth. 



June. — Heliaca te7iebrata {arbiiti) was plentiful on the hedge-banks 

 this year; I took a dozen along a few yards, and in a few minutes, on the 

 4th. On the Ist I saw the dragonflies, Ischniira elegans and Ayrio7i puella 

 — ^just out — flying together. A delicate pink sutfusion on the thorax, 

 particularly in the case of A. puella, showed they were immature. Enallayma 

 cyathigerum, Libellula quadrimaculata, and Lexicorrhinia duhia appeared 

 on the Delamere heaths, but also immature, on the 23rd. Pyrrhosoma 

 nymphula [ = Ayr ion minium) was well out on the 30th. A common beetle 

 on the Delamere heaths, in June, is the handsome and variable Cicindela 

 campestris. The night-feeding larvae taken in Delamere Forest from 

 sallow, birch and hawthorn, on April 38th (Entora. x.xxiii. 183), began to 

 appear on June 11th as perfect insects. Among them were six or eight 

 Aplecta nebulosa, including three black forms. The Delamere type is a 

 much darker moth than the one I come across in North Wales — say, in the 

 county of Merioneth. That from Delamere is about as dark as A. occulta, 

 whilst the Merioneth one is about as pale as Polia chi. A new and 

 successful experience in June was the searching for moths, with the aid of 

 a lamp, on flowers, particularly those of the campions, and of hogweed 

 (Heracleum sphondylium). I have a lively recollection of those quiet and 

 beautiful June nights — all the world asleep — and the seas of great white 

 scented trusses of flowers flecking the sides of the lanes and river embank- 

 ment. We took no r&rities from these hogweeds, but they were well worth 

 working by anyone who wished to renew common species. Foremost 

 among these, in abundance, were Axylia putris, Noctua c-nigrum, N. /estiva 

 (with endless varieties), Ayrotis segetum (equally as variable — the females 

 often with red margins), A. exclamationis (with pale to almost black forms). 

 Triphmia pronuba in all sorts of bhades and patterns, the mottled variety of 

 Apamea gemina (often taken for Mamestra furva), and, of course, the type 

 and varieties oi Xylophasia rurea. The best geometers, and there were 

 plenty of them, were Timandra amataria, Emmelesia decolorata and Eupi- 

 thecia castiyata, the last species being a new record for Chester. At 

 campion flowers we took, amongst others, Dianthoscia cucubali, aglow with 

 marginal purple band and yellow streak — alas ! ihey fade. Oiher moths 

 at campion flowers were Plusia pulchrina and E. venosata. One night, or 

 rather morning (but this was in July), we strayed among some fields, on the 

 way home, to visit a growth of marsh mallows. The flowers were closed, 

 but seven larvae (night-feeders) of Eubolia cervinata were secured. From 

 these I had five moths between the lUth and the end of September. A 

 double surprise, this month, was the abundance of Lycmna agoyi and 

 ZyyoBna Jilipendulm in the Delamere Forest district. The butterfly was 

 out in hundreds on the 30th, but all males, and flying in company with 



